Honestly the Best Soft and Spiced Pumpkin Bread Ever (And It Is So, So Easy!)

I am going to tell you how to make an irresistibly moist and spiced pumpkin bread that is packed with the warm and comforting flavors of cinnamon, ginger, a few other spices, and, of course, pumpkin!

This easy pumpkin bread recipe is honestly so incredibly simple to make. It has the most wonderful spiced pumpkin flavor, and it honestly leaves your house smelling so incredibly cozy while it bakes. If you only make one homemade pumpkin bread this fall, let it be this one.

Why You Will Love This Pumpkin Bread Recipe

You are going to absolutely love this recipe because it yields a loaf that is so incredibly soft and moist, but still has great structure so it holds together really well.

• The secret is oil, not butter. Oil stays liquid at room temperature, so it keeps the crumb tender instead of firming up as the loaf cools.
• A touch of cornstarch gives it a true bakery style texture by softening the crumb.
• It all comes together with just a whisk and a couple of bowls. So, so easy!

If cozy, spiced fall baking is your thing, you will also love my Rhubarb Pie with Crystallized Ginger, it has that same warm ginger and spice combo running through it.

What You Will Need

Special Equipment

• 8.5 by 4.5 inch loaf pan
• Parchment paper
• Large and medium mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Digital kitchen thermometer (optional, but great for checking doneness)

The Dry Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups (180g) all purpose flour
• ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch
• 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¾ tsp ground ginger (powdered)
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves

The Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup (200g) white granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• ¾ cup (155g) unflavored vegetable oil (such as canola oil)
• 1 cup (250g) pure canned pumpkin puree (like Libby 100 percent Pure Pumpkin)
• 3 tbsp (45g) whole milk (room temperature)
• 1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Let Us Get Baking!

1. First, Let Us Prep!

You want to start off by preheating your oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit conventional, and lightly grease an 8.5 by 4.5 inch loaf tin. Then, you also want to line the pan with parchment paper with some of that parchment paper hanging over the edges. It makes lifting it out so much easier later! Now, you just want to pop your bread tin aside for now.

2. Whisk the Dry Ingredients

Next, you are going to sift together your dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift together the plain all purpose flour, a little cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and a beautiful blend of ground cinnamon, ginger powder, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. Seriously, these spices are going to give the pumpkin bread the most incredible flavor! Using a whisk, give that a good mix until it is well combined and set it aside for now.

3. Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a separate large bowl, you want to add in your white granulated sugar, room temperature eggs, unflavored vegetable oil (I use canola oil!), pure pumpkin puree, a splash of room temperature whole milk, and vanilla extract. And then you just want to use a whisk to mix vigorously until the mixture is completely smooth and well combined.

4. Bring It All Together

Now to finish off the batter, all you have to do is pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients. Using your whisk, mix gently just until combined and smooth. You do not want to overmix it, otherwise you are going to end up with a very dense pumpkin bread! You just want to stop mixing as soon as you cannot see any more streaks of unmixed flour and the batter looks uniform. That is your batter all done. Honestly, so, so easy!

5. Remove Air Bubbles

Pour your batter into your prepared pan from earlier. Once all the batter is in, you just want to drop the bread tin lightly on the counter a few times to release any large trapped air bubbles.

6. Off to the Oven!

Now this is going to go into the oven for about 65 to 70 minutes. You will know it is done when a skewer or thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.

Quick tip: If your bread tin is slightly bigger than mine, then you want to check the pumpkin bread a little earlier, maybe around the 55 minute mark, as it is likely to cook a bit faster.

7. The Hardest Part… Waiting for It to Cool!

When it comes out, it honestly smells so, so incredible. Let it cool in the tin for about 10 to 20 minutes just to give it some time to firm up a little. Then, just use the parchment paper that is hanging over the edges to lift the pumpkin bread out of the tin and transfer it to a wire rack.

You just want to let the pumpkin bread completely cool before placing it onto a serving plate, and then it is ready to slice and serve. Mmm… the spices in there just give it such incredible flavor.

If you do decide to give this wonderfully spiced pumpkin bread a go, then please do leave a review on my blog. It really helps my content out and I absolutely love hearing from you guys!

Craving another moist, spiced bake with a clever secret ingredient? My Tallow Chocolate Cake Recipe uses the same “one unexpected swap for a better crumb” trick this bread does.

Pro Tips for the Best Pumpkin Bread

• Use fresh baking powder and soda. This is the number one reason bread turns out dense or gummy at the bottom.
• Do not skip the cool-down time. Slicing too early can make the crumb seem underbaked even when it is not.
• Check with a thermometer if you have one. 200°F (93°C) in the center means it is truly done all the way through.
• Room temperature eggs and milk blend more smoothly into the batter, so pull them out ahead of time.

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Irresistibly Moist and Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings (about 8 to 10 slices)

1

loaf

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Calories

310

kcal

Chill time

20

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

45

minutes

The absolute best, softest moist pumpkin bread packed with warm, cozy spices! This easy pumpkin bread recipe uses oil and a touch of cornstarch for a perfectly moist, bakery-style crumb.

Ingredients

• Equipment:

• 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan

• Parchment paper

• Whisk

• Mixing bowls

• Ingredients
• Dry Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch

• 1 ¼ tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ¾ tsp ground ginger (powdered)

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup (200g) white granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs (room temperature)

• ¾ cup (155g) unflavored vegetable oil (canola or sunflower oil)

• 1 cup (250g) pure canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

• 3 tbsp (45g) whole milk (room temperature)

• 1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides for easy removal.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk until fully combined and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, room-temperature eggs, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, whole milk, and vanilla extract until completely smooth and emulsified.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Gently whisk or fold just until combined and no streaks of dry flour remain. Do not overmix!
• Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles.
• Bake for 65 to 70 minutes. A skewer inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 to 20 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift it out. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

• Doneness Tip: Because pumpkin is so heavy, underbaked bread will sink and get gummy at the bottom! If you have a digital thermometer, bake the bread until the internal temperature registers 200°F (93°C).
• Pan Size: If your loaf pan is slightly larger (like a 9×5), your bread will cook faster. Check it at the 55-minute mark!
• Muffin Swap: Want muffins instead? Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin, fill each ¾ full, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• Freezing: This loaf freezes beautifully! Wrap the completely cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.